On Saturday, Malta will honour Paolino Vassallo, one of her finest composers, at the imposing Co-Cathedral of St John’s in Valletta where the National Orchestra of Malta, under the direction of Christopher Muscat, will be performing Vassallo’s monumental Messa da Requiem.
Although it is one of Vassallo’s best works, the requiem mass has unfortunately never been played in its entirety since the composer’s demise in 1923.
As Vassallo’s Messa da Requiem will be the last in the long series of commemoration activities, the National Orchestra engaged some of Malta’s leading soloists for this important occasion, namely soprano Miriam Cauchi, mezzo-soprano Claire Massa, tenor Charles Vincenti and bass Noel Galea. Soloists and orchestra will join forces with the Malta Chorale, the Jubilate Deo Choir and members from the Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi who will be travelling to Malta to take part in this concert.
Paolino Vassallo is one of Malta’s finest composers and his studies and contacts in Paris undoubtedly helped him in no small way to develop his innate musical talent and to broaden his musical perspective.
Paolino Vassallo was born in Cospicua on 24 July 1856 and died on 20 January 1923 in Valletta at the age of 67. Professor Domenico Amore started teaching him the violin at an early age and Canon Luigi Fenech the elements of harmony. As his musical talents developed he realised that his native land did not afford him the facility to develop his gift for music, and at the age of 19 he went to Paris to continue his studies. It was his good fortune to receive instruction from two great composers of the time, Guiraud and Massenet. While studying in Paris, he managed to gain access to the top Parisian musical circles and earned his living as first violin at the Opéra Comique. Later on, he occasionally conducted the orchestra of this famous theatre.
Vassallo was a prolific composer and his varied output can be clearly classified into three sections: (a) sacred music; (b) orchestral and operatic music; (c) other light compositions. Back in his native land after the 12-year stint in Paris, Paolino Vassallo found himself caught between two musical forces that prevailed in Malta at the time: sacred music and opera. Vassallo is also well remembered as a teacher having taught composers like Carlo Diacono, Giuseppe Caruana and Josie Mallia Pulvirenti who were to dominate the local musical scene for at least another 50 years after his death.
Entrance to the concert is free but female patrons are requested to refrain from wearing stiletto or narrow heels.